Hawaiian Stores Are Keeping SPAM In Locked Cases After Rise In Thefts

I wonder if Austin, Minnesota knows that it’s currently sitting on a salty, meaty gold mine?

As many of you know, Austin is the home of Hormel Foods, which makes maybe the most unconventional food in the world: SPAM. Now, I’ll be honest – I’ve tried SPAM a few times in my life. It’s not for me. But I know people who swear by it. There is literally a man who named himself "I LOVE SPAM." I don’t get it, but I definitely find the fervor amusing.

But did you know that people are so rabid for SPAM in Hawaii, that some retailers have been forced to guard it in locked cases? Seriously.

According to the Washington Post, a Safeway worker in the island of Oahu witnessed a man grab 8 cases of SPAM before bolting from the store. Another incident in Hawaii involved a man stealing a case of SPAM from a mall shop. He even punched a security guard who tried to stop him! SPAM is so popular in Hawaii, that many stores require you to ask a salesperson to retrieve it for you. This is insane to me.

So why the craze?

Apparently, Hawaiians put SPAM on everything. No joke; they eat more than five million pounds a year. So there's definitely a demand. And since a 12-ounce can costs $2.50, it's led to a recent "SPAM Black Market" (a Splack Market?) where thieves will steal an 8-pack or a case to make a quick profit. What a world.

Just putting this out there, but if a TV network came out with a Sopranos/Breaking Bad-type show about a SPAM crime network in Hawaii, I would totally watch it.